Electrical switches of the kind concerned are often known as rotary stepping switches. In a typical construction, the switch has a casing, a rotor, a moving contact mounted on the rotor, and a plurality of fixed contacts disposed around the rotor for contact by the moving contact for switching as the rotor is rotated in a stepwise manner by pulling a chain or the like.
There are a number of problems associated with such switches. The arrangement of fixed contacts around the rotor imposes limitations on the design of the switches and in particular makes it hard to alter the number of the fixed contacts vis-à-vis the design of the casing or to install more than four to five fixed contacts. By being connected to the switch in different directions around the latter's periphery, electrical cables are cumbersome to be arranged or run in a confined space.
The invention seeks to mitigate or at least alleviate the aforesaid problems or shortcomings by providing an improved or otherwise new electrical switch.